Chapter 267: (Lost Data) (2/2)

Then came the rains. The plants screamed and writhed in torment. The sun's rays were cruel, twisting the plants even further, driving them mad, bringing them from subtle harmony into violent competition.

No longer was Gulma'an the plant's brother. No longer did Gulma'an care for anything beyond the Goddess Venus as it felt as if part of his mind had been stripped away.

His Goddess Venus was scarred and disfigured and cried out in pain, Gulma'an and his people cried out with her.

Gulma'an was driven half mad by the Goddess Venus's screams of pain. He grew larger, more muscular. His jaw thrust outward, heavy tusks growing for his lower jaw, his bones thickened and his skin grew even more resistant, his coloration deepened.

When the bug-people came, landing in their craft, Gulma'an killed them with rock and spear, lured them to plants that ate tougher insects then them. He led ants the size of a crawling child into their ships, the lines of hundreds eager for the protein that the bug-people would provide.

Gulma'an found that the bug-men tasted good when roasted alive over a fire.

His tribe ate well.

They knew where to hide in the caves in the glittering cliffs. The plants relented and allowed them to hide within them.

The bug-people left.

Which Gulma'an secretly regretted.

They were delicious.

He, and his people, went back to tending to the Goddess Venus's wounds. She was scarred, defiled, but she was their mother, and they loved her.

One morning a figure of light appeared, walking across the steaming seas of Venus. He was followed by four others in a boat they rowed. The figure stepped up upon the beach and Gulma'an went down to see this vision.

He was slightly afraid of the figures. One was huge human, more metal than man, who's joints hissed and whirred when he moved. Another looked dangerous to Gulma'an, the tattoos on his face reminding Gulma'an of the tattoos on his own. The other was thin, delicate appearing, with skin the proper brown color of the Sons of Venus that had been blotted away by the sky-lights. The last was a woman, her skin pale, her hair black, a wound that leaked black blood down her front.

Curious, Gulma'an approached the figure, wondering who it was, who its companions were.

The figure spoke the language of The People. Gulma'an took them to see the village elder, the wise man, and the glimmering figure went into the Elder's cave and spoke to the Elder alone.

Gulma'an stared at the quartet left, wondering who they were.

The being made of sparkling light came out, motioning to Gulma'an.

What they spoke of has been lost to time and never recorded.

All that is known is that when the Digital Omnimessiah left Venus, Green Thomas went with him.